The Villainess’s Reputation [Kingdom Building] 114. In Between Space and Time

High above the realms of reality, suspended in the rift between space and ti, stood the Kairos Colosseum, a towering, ancient structure of impossible design. It floated amidst the shimring threads of ti, untouched by the flow of any single era. Built by gods and bound to no dinsion, it was a place where warriors from all ages and worlds ca to fight, to prove their strength, or to fall in eternal glory.

From the massive gates below, hundreds of champions entered and exited the battlefield in regular intervals, their armor clashing, weapons singing, and magic sparking with raw intensity. The deafening roar of countless spectators, beings from every corner of existence—filled the boundless sky as nas were chanted with frenzied fervor.

Within the arena, a titanic battle unfolded. A towering ogre, muscles bulging like boulders, swung a crude club the size of a tree trunk at his opponent: a lone man clad in gleaming knight’s armor, his blade flashing with divine light. The clash of steel and brute strength echoed like thunder across the colosseum.

High above the crowd, at the peak of the stadium, stood a solitary spire that pierced the heavens, reserved for only one being: the master of the Kairos Colosseum.

Seated on a throne adorned with temporal runes and forged from the remnants of fallen tilines, was a man of towering presence. His physique radiated raw power, and his hair shimred like constellations. Each strand glinting with the colors of collapsing stars. This was Gilnto, the God of War and Ti, the eternal arbiter of the Kairos Colosseum.

His eyes, glowing with cosmic light, were fixed on the battle below. But then—sothing disrupted the equilibrium.

A brilliant fireball tore through the veil of ti above the colosseum, trailing heat and divine pressure as it blazed across the sky. The crowd silenced. Warriors paused. Even ti itself seed to falter for a breath.

It was not just a fireball. It was a sun.

The radiant sphere hovered directly over the arena, casting golden light on everything beneath. And from its heart, a figure erged—hovering gracefully, descending in a halo of divine brilliance.

“What brings you here, Solious?” Gilnto asked, his voice calm but tinged with irritation.

The figure stepped forward, her golden-orange hair flowing like liquid sunlight, each strand catching the light with divine warmth. She wore a stola that clung to her form like woven dawnlight, her presence exuding sacredness and beauty beyond mortal comprehension.

She was Solious, the Goddess of the Sun and Divine Justice.

Her radiant smile carried both charm and concern. “Herptian is ddling with the mortal realm again,” she said. “All the trouble we went through to rewind ti—it might all be for nothing if she continues to interfere.”

Gilnto's eyes narrowed. He rose from his throne, muscles taut, his divine aura intensifying.

“We?” he echoed with a scoff. “It was you who was desperate to prevent Father’s resurrection. You were the one who begged to bend the flow of ti backward.”

He stepped down from the dais and closed the distance between them, his gaze fierce, voice thundering softly like a distant storm. “You promised sothing in return, Solious.”

He stared into her golden eyes. “You told I would witness a war greater than any the realms have ever seen. A glorious conflict that would shake the heavens and reshape the future.” He leaned closer, his tone edged with dangerous amusent. “And yet... I see no war. Only delay, and deception.”

Solious’s expression wavered, her divine calm tested.

“Gilnto, listen to —” she began, but he cut her off with a sharp wave of his hand.

“I am not Herptian, Solious,” he said, his voice deepening with divine authority. “She may tolerate your tricks. She may forgive you for breaking your word. But I am the God of War and Ti.”

His gaze flared. “I do not forget promises.”

The air between the two gods crackled with tiless power, tension humming like a drawn bowstring. Far below, the final bell of the match echoed through the Kairos Colosseum, signaling the end of another battle. The crowd erupted into cheers and howls, but up in the Tower, neither deity moved. Their eyes were locked, their auras pressing against one another like clashing storms.

Solious was the first to speak, her voice calm but carrying a weight of divine authority.“Yes, I haven’t forgotten our deal. But let’s be clear, the condition was that only my chosen Apostle would retain the mories of the previous tiline.” Her golden eyes narrowed, flashing with irritation. “Yet Herptian’s Apostle seems unusually aware of things she should not know.”

Gilnto leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, expression unreadable.“And why should that be my concern?” he replied smoothly. “From what I can perceive, so unknown force is interfering with that girl’s soul. She is not native to this world. If mory serves, our agreent said nothing about an otherworlder in the tiline.”

Solious scoffed, folding her arms tightly beneath her radiant stola.“You gave your word, Gilnto. You promised that only my Apostle would retain mories from the last cycle and now you sit there making excuses.”

Gilnto’s lips curled into a wry smile. “Fine. I admit, the deal has been... sowhat derailed. But that’s due to the presence of this anomaly I did not foresee, and certainly not one of my doing.” He stood again, the runes on his throne flaring briefly as he stepped forward. “So tell , Solious, what is it you expect to do? Turn back ti again?”

Solious raised her chin defiantly. “You know as well as I do, I can’t ask that—not without the approval of all twelve of us. We barely got that vote together the last ti.”

Gilnto sighed, his eyes flickering with light. “Then why are you here?” he asked, voice growing sharper. “You’re not here to fulfill your end of the bargain, clearly.”

Solious’s gaze softened just a little. “You just have to be patient. Once I resolve this interference, everything will fall back into place. Your promised war will co—and it will be more magnificent than you imagined.”

Gilnto raised an eyebrow thinking. “Ah, so you need a favor,” he said knowingly. Solious nodded once. “I need a soul. A beautiful one—from your Colosseum.”

That made Gilnto chuckle. He returned to his throne and sat down, swirling a cup of celestial wine in his hand.“You’re trying to bribe Herptian, aren’t you?”

Solious didn’t deny it.“She’s the only one who can draw a living soul into the divine realm to communicate. I need to reach my Apostle directly. If I can’t rewrite ti, I’ll at least equip him with the knowledge necessary to compete with this anomaly.”

Gilnto laughed, a deep, rolling sound like grinding stone.“So much for your high ideals. The great ruler of justice, reduced to pulling strings in the background.” He raised his cup in mock toast. “Welco to our level.”

Solious’s expression darkened. “Don’t mock , Gilnto. Herptian’s Apostle should never have been allowed such an advantage. That otherworlder is destabilizing everything, every choice, every future. If justice is to prevail, my Apostle must be ard with the sa insight.”

Gilnto shrugged. “Herptian’s indulgences are her divine authority. She has every right to ddle in the mortal realm as she pleases. You, on the other hand with no right to interfere in the mortal realm, turned back ti and stacked the deck for your chosen. If anything, this is balance being restored.”

Solious exhaled sharply through her nose. “Enough. Just give a soul—one beautiful enough to tempt Herptian into granting an audience.”

Gilnto gave her a long look, his amused smile returning. “You know she won’t bite. You know exactly which beauty she’s been craving.”

Solious’s gaze beca steely. “Just give soone”

Gilnto raised both hands in mock surrender.“Very well, very well. There have been a few contestants in the recent matches who might suit her tastes—lovely, radiant, spirited, and freshly dead.” He leaned forward slightly. “But tell , Solious... what do I get in exchange for giving up one of my prized warriors?”

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